organizing in a globalized economy turin 24 th - 28 th october, 2005 - italy

ORGANIZING IN A ORGANIZING IN A GLOBALIZED ECONOMYGLOBALIZED ECONOMY

Turin 24th - 28th October, 2005 - ITALY

www.iuf.org

HISTORY

HISTORY

HISTORY

HISTORY

The International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering,

Tobacco and Allied Workers' Associations

The IUF is the international federation that covers the whole food chain.

HISTORY

• Building solidarity within the food chain• Solidarity actions to defend human, democratic & trade union rights • International union organizing within TNCs

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

Strengthening member unionsthrough mutual support in:

• its unionization and organizational campaigns

• disputes with employers and governments

• coordination of international solidarity actions

• fighting against all forms of discrimination and promoting equal conditions at work, in the community and in the union movement;

• training programs,

• research and publications;

• updated union information service, mainly about transnational corporations;

• reaching collective agreements with transnational corporations emphasizing union rights

• adoption of Conventions and Recommendations by the ILO

IUF Purposes

The IUF Headquarters and General Secretariat are located in Geneva, Switzerland:

IUF Rampe du Pont-Rouge,8

CH-1213 Petit-Lancy, Geneva, SwitzerlandGeneral Secretary: Ron Oswald

iuf@iuf.org www.iuf.orgPhone: (4122) 793 22 33

Fax:4122) 793 22 38

General Secretariat

There are 6 regional organizations to develop the IUF union work:

• Latin America• Africa• Asia/Pacific• Caribbean• Europe• North America

Regional Secretariats

NCCGP

• They are oligopolies (where they can, monopolies) – they control markets

• Destructive competition and marginalization of others

TNCs are supranational powers

Two of them are Nestle and Coca Cola for which the IUF has developed the Nestle and Coca Cola Global Project

NCCGP

• They are oligopolies (where they can, monopolies) – they control markets

• Destructive competition and marginalization of others

TNCs are supranational powers

NCCGP

Asia/Pacific

Africa

Americas

“CIS”IUF GenevaCoordinates

NCCGP- Objectives

Taking trade union rights as the central issue identify issues for information exchange andcoordination within and between the regions, such us:

•documentation and information to support collective bargaining (best practices, training)

•Anti-discrimination & Equal Opportunity (in workplaces)

•Stopping Casualisation and outsourcing (documenting current practices,providing information and support to pre-empt or reverse outsourcing, awareness-raising among trade unions, provide information about TNC practices and international TU positions in this regard)

•Workers’ Safety, Health & the Environment (GMOs, injuries, RSIs)

NCCGP- Actions

1. Assist unions to become more capable and democratic instruments fortheir members2. Recruit and organize new members, especially youth and women workers3. Strengthen coordination of Coca-Cola and Nestlé workers’ unions atnational, regional and global levels4. Promote equal opportunity and overcome discrimination in the workplaceand within unions5. Stop casualization and subcontracting6. Promote occupational safety, health and the environment7. Develop critical understanding of corporate strategies, managementtechniques and new technologies8. Support unions in negotiating better collective bargaining agreements withCoca-Cola and Nestlé9. Bring independent local plant unions into federations and IUF10. Achieve global trade union rights agreements with Coca-Cola Companyand Nestlé.

Regular communication of all 4 coordinators to keep it global

•Sharing -information on TUR violations-CBA language-Best practices-Success stories

•Discussion on conflicts•Regular meetings for Evaluation, strategic planning •Preparation of educational materials

NCCGP- Activities

downward pressure on prices = downward pressure on wagesintra-firm competition increases downward pressure on wages & working conditionsgreater outsourcing, subcontracting & co-packing undermines job securityimposing new costs on subsidiaries; loss-making by designserious union fragmentation

NCCGP- Diagnosis of the global situation

1. realities behind factory-level profitability & performance

2. resisting competitive pressures (‘productivity’ drives)

3. dealing with continuous restructuring4. challenging outsourcing & subcontracting5. bargaining beyond the workplace

NCCGP- Challenges for trade unions

1 - Realities behind factory-level profitability & performance

finding the real reasons for lossesintra-firm trade & financial transfersunderstanding the factory within the TNC systemmonitoring management planstracking finished products tracking product changes

NCCGP- Challenges for trade unions

Forcing Tangible Gains from Intangible Wealth

Solidarity Against Competitive Pressures

Enforcing Responsibility

Transnational Collective Bargaining

NCCGP- Trade union responses to the challenges

NCCGP- Trade union responses to the challenges

Forcing Tangible Gains from Intangible

Wealth

- Use the trademark and marketing as weak corporate points

NCCGP- Some features of our project

Need of strong unionsUnion recognition by companies (to begin with)International negotiations NetworkingPermanent coordination (keeping in touch)National and regional solidarity/campaigns

Some strong points of the project:Gender equityHorizontal coordinationPermanent coordination and cooperationActual work on the ground

• Applicability of IFAs on the ground

• Campaign organizing

• Training materials – taking ownership

• How to overcome union fragmentation

NCCGP- Proposal for GUF discussion

• Forcing Union “tangible” gains from corporate “intangible wealth”•Using the trademark and marketing (as a

corporate weakness)•Using the public image and the consumer awareness•Ownership of brands and profit: a responsibility (to be borne in mind by unions and

reminded to companies) •Exchange of information

NCCGP- Union strategies

• Union organizing throughout the company

• Solidarity above competition• Cross border solidarity to support

collective bargaining/ Internationally coordinated CB

• Sharing strategic information• Best practices and skills for

collective bargaining

NCCGP- Union strategies

• NCCGP is not aimed to negotiate an IFA, but to work directly with the national, local unions and rank & file for the actual application of international negotiation and language

For example •(Danone-PepsiCo) •(Fonterra-Nestle) •(Manila Declaration)•4C

Presently working on Awareness and Use of IFAs as union tools

And would like to know your opinion

NCCGP- strategic approach

NCCGP – Nestle Challenge

security

cleaning

maintenance

distribution

payroll

accountancy

Production

NCCGP – Nestle Challenge

security

cleaning

canteen

maintenance

distribution

payroll

accountancy

Production

• “… the Coca-Cola Company is a management company rather than a food company….”

• “…. Coca Cola is a system”

NCCGP – Coca Cola Challenge

In 2004 we carried out 111 solidarity actions, a 20 percent increase in relation to 2003

These actions were related mainly to the following

labor rights

CBAs

humanrights

Solidarity Actions

11 %

29 %60 %

Rel - UITA Our work

16%

84%

Coca-Cola

• Solidarity actions of 2004 reflect a 115% increase as compared with 2000.

• In average there are 2 solidarity actions a week.

Latin AmericaSolidarity Actions in 2004

20%

80%

Nestlé

Research, company information, conflict situation and other union issues are daily informed on a free subscription basis from the Latin American Regional Secretariat.

SIREL

Latin American IUF communication system

Coca Cola Carepa Campaign

www.iuf.org